Cardinal Grech: Every Catholic is invited to weigh in on synod study groups’ deliberations
October 04, 2024
The Vatican newspaper has reported that Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, said that every group in the Church—and every individual Catholic—may offer “contributions, observations and proposals” to the ten synod study groups created by Pope Francis in February.
L’Osservatore Romano reported on October 3:
Yesterday afternoon, the Secretary General of the Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech, announced that pastors and ecclesial leaders, but also and above all every faithful, man or woman, and every group, association, movement or community, will be able to send contributions, observations and proposals to the Study Groups of the Synod. In this way, everyone will be able to offer their contribution until June 2025, when the 10 Groups—and with them also the Canon Law Commission—will cease to be operational.
The initiative responds to the recommendation of Pope Francis (Letter to the Secretary General of the Synod, February 22, 2024) that the Groups, established to study theological questions present in the Summary Report of the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “work according to an authentically synodal method.”
This means, Cardinal Grech explained, “that, within themselves, these Groups are called to promote the effective participation of all members,” but also “to remain open to a broader participation, that of the entire People of God.”
In creating the ten study groups in February—after the synod on synodality’s first session (October 2023), and before its second session (October 2024)—Pope Francis removed ten issues, some of them controversial, from the purview of synod participants. The Synod of Bishops announced the members of the study groups in July, and representatives of study groups offered updates to synod participants on October 2.
Cardinal Grech’s invitation to the faithful to contribute to the work of the study groups was not part of his opening address to the synod.
The General Secretariat of the Synod (contact information), “which the Pontiff has asked to guarantee the synodal method of work, will be responsible for collecting the material that will be sent to it, transmitting it from time to time to the Group or Groups concerned,” the newspaper added.
Earlier coverage
- Synod retreat, day 1: ‘Stripping ourselves before the other and before God’ (CWN, 10/1)
- Synod retreat touches on homosexuality, ‘new ministries’; culminates in penitential vigil (CWN, 10/2)
- Opening Synod session, Pope stresses listening (CWN, 10/2)
- Synod, October 2: Pope defends inclusion of non-bishops; Cardinal Fernández: ‘no’ to women deacons (CWN, 10/3)
- Synod, October 3: Working groups discuss ‘Foundations’; ‘nothing new,’ says Cardinal Hollerich (CWN, 10/4)
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